1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to voltage converters, and more particularly, to a driver with a smart or adaptive interface that allows the driver to be used in varied direct current (DC) to direct-current (DC) converters utilizing differing types or configurations of converter circuits, such as buck-boost and flyback DC-to-DC converter circuits, without modification of the driver.
2. Relevant Background
Direct-current (DC) to direct-current (DC) converters are well known in the field of electronics. DC-to-DC converters are typically employed to convert from one DC voltage level to another DC voltage level. They are used in a variety of environments. For example, DC-to-DC converters are used to provide a supply voltage to microprocessors and other logic devices and are also used in many electronic systems to provide supply voltage, such as in a disk drive where the converter supplies a desired voltage to a voice coil motor and spindle motors. The voltage source may be a battery, such as in a notebook or handheld computer or electronic device, or some other power source that provides a DC voltage, such as 1 to 36 V. The DC-to-DC converter functions to convert this supply or input voltage to one or more regulated output DC voltages required by the load, i.e., the microprocessor, the motor driver, and the like. For example, many logic devices on integrated circuits (ICs) work on 1.2, 3.6, and 5 V supplies from a converter while the power source supplies 12 V or other supply voltage. The DC-to-DC converter may be provided as part of an integrated circuit (IC) such as on an IC with a microprocessor or on a separate IC or provided as part of a standard circuit in other applications.
There are a variety of DC-to-DC converters designs, such as pulse-width modulated (PWM) converters and pulse-frequency modulated (PFM) converters, but generally each of the DC-to-DC converters includes a converter circuit and a driver. The converter circuit converts the input or supply voltage into a desired output or load voltage. The driver functions to provide control signals to the converter circuit to regulate the output or load voltage produced by the converter circuit. There are presently numerous converter circuits utilized in DC-to-DC converters. Two common converter circuits are labeled flyback converters and buck-boost converters based on their functioning and the arrangement of their circuit components. Other converters circuits include boost converters and buck converters.
To drive these converters, a driver is designed that includes a variety of circuitry and components. For example, a common implementation of a driver includes blocks or devices to generate a reference voltage for use in regulating the output of the converter circuit, a feedback to sample the converter circuit output, a circuit for generating an error signal based on the reference voltage and the feedback signal, a modulator for modulating the output based on the error signal (such as a pulse-width modulator in a PWM converter), additional control components (e.g., a component for limiting the maximum duty cycle of the modulator signal, a current limitation device for limiting the current of a transistor in the converter circuit, and a voltage lock out circuit for switching on and off circuits in the driver based on the level of the input power), and a logic circuit for combining the signals of the other components and providing a drive signal to the converter circuit to regulate the converter circuits output.
To design or create a DC-to-DC converter, a driver is paired with one of the converter circuit types. In some cases, the driver is manufactured separately from the converter circuit, e.g., in two separate ICs. However, a driver is typically configured to drive a single type of converter circuit and cannot be used in multiple converter applications. For example, a driver may be designed and manufactured for use or pairing with a buck-boost converter circuit that includes a P-channel switching transistor. In other words, the driver is configured to provide a drive or output signal to drive this particular type of transistor. Without modification, this specially configured driver cannot be used with a flyback converter circuit, which includes an N-channel switching transistor. Presently, this problem is addressed by designing and manufacturing a unique driver for each of the converter circuits and by combining these differing drivers with the differing converter circuits to manufacture DC-to-DC converters. Redesigning the drivers for different types of converter circuits results in undesirable and often, unacceptable increased engineering and manufacturing costs associated with the produced DC-to-DC converters.
Hence, there remains a need for a driver for DC-to-DC converters that is compatible with more than one converter circuit type and is thus interchangeable. Preferably, such a driver would be able to interface with different converter circuits with minimal or no modification, would be relatively easy to produce with low associated costs with known existing manufacturing capabilities, and would be readily accepted by the electronics industry as providing effective control and/or regulation of the output of the converter circuit.